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Lieutenant Colonel Micheal (Mike) L. Walton is a graduate and completed the ROTC program at Eastern Kentucky University. Walton was commissioned as a Signal Corps Second Lieutenant and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications and Human Relations and in Public Relations in 1982. He returned to Eastern Kentucky and in 1992, earned his Master of Science degree in Recreation and Parks Administration with an emphasis in Outdoor Recreation. Walton later pursued post-graduate study in Organizational Communications at Western Kentucky University. His military education includes completion of the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in 1993; the Combined Arms Services Staff School (CAS3); the Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; the Adjutant General Officer Advanced Course; Audiovisual/Broadcast Officer, Combat Signal Staff Officer, Information Officer, the NATO Nuclear-Biological-Chemical Staff Officer Course, and the Public Affairs Officer Qualification Course. In 2001 Walton became one of a few selected by the Army to participate in the Department of Defense (DOD) Course in Communications at the University of Oklahoma. In 2006 Walton graduated from FEMA's Advanced Public Information Officer Course. He has been selected to attend the Army Management Staff College and the Senior Public Affairs Officer Course upon funding.

Walton has held positions in a wide variety of Army organizations -- Active, Guard and Reserve -- from separate company to Department of the Army level:

As a Kentucky Army Guardsman, Walton served as Operations and Training Officer, Company A (Admin), 103rd Combat Support Battalion and later as Battalion Signal Officer, 206th Engineer Battalion, both part of the 35th Infantry Division (Mechanized). He also served as part of the cadre of the Kentucky Military Academy (KMA) and as an augmentee for the state's Office of Disaster and Emergency Services (DMS).

On Active Duty, Walton was the Assistant Public Affairs Officer (PAO), USA Field Artillery School and Center, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma; Platoon Leader (Communications), 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry (Mechanized) and later as Battalion Signal Officer, 4th Battalion, 16th Infantry (Mechanized), both with the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in Europe; as Adjutant/S-1, Company Executive Officer and later Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 51st Signal Battalion (Corps Command), 93d Signal Brigade in Europe; as Conference Planner, USA Signal Center and School, Ft. Gordon, Georgia; and as Assistant Operations Officer and later Reserve Component Support Staff Officer/PAO, USA Personnel Information Systems Command (PERSINSCOM), Total Army Personnel Command, Washington, DC. During Desert Storm, Walton was attached to the 1101st Signal Brigade (EAC), 6th Signal Command (Provisional), as part of a team correcting personnel and postal automation issues throughout the theater of operations. During Joint Endeavor/Joint Guard, Walton was assigned as Deputy PAO for the 21st Theater Army Area Command (TAACOM) and further attached as PAO during several missions to Africa and Southwestern Europe with the 29th Support Group, the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM)'s contingency support command. During New Horizons 99, Walton served as part of a Joint Information Bureau (JIB) supporting rebuilding and restoration operations in four Central American countries devastated by two hurricanes and resulting rains and storms. During the observance of the 10th Anniversary of Desert Shield/Storm by the Army Reserve, Walton served as Deputy Director/Executive Officer at the Office, Chief of the Army Reserve at the Pentagon. During Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom Walton was the commander of the 318th Public Affairs Operations Center (PAOC), the organization which provided the core of the Coalition Press Information Center - Kuwait which processed, equipped, and embedded close to 2800 broadcasters and journalists from around the world as they covered the war in Kuwait. Later, Walton was the first Army Reserve public affairs officer in central Baghdad (Iraq), leading his unit into the former Presidential Palace in Baghdad to provide support to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Walton served as a public affairs officer supporting hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans, Louisiana.. Most recently, Walton served as the Deputy Director, Iraq Communications Commericalization, Multinational Forces, Iraq (MNF-I) in Baghdad, Iraq.

As an Army Reserve Soldier, Lieutenant Colonel Walton served as Youth Programs Operations Officer and later as Assistant Battalion Evaluator for Guard Signal units both at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. He also served as Assistant Operations Officer/Joint Communications Staff Officer, USA Information Systems Command - Alaska; as part of the staff element providing critical communications support to the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Korea; as an Operations Officer at the Army Depot in Sacramento, California; as Personnel Operations Officer, Adjutant, and later as PAO) for the 3397th USA Garrison, 125th Army Reserve Command in Chattanooga, Tennessee; as Deputy PAO and later as PAO, 21st TAACOM - split between an active duty command headquarters in Kaiserslautern, Germany and its reserve headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana; and as a member of the public affairs team supporting the 1997, 2001 and 2005 National Scout Jamborees at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. He also served as Administrative Support Division Chief and later as the first Emerging Media Team Chief in the Army Reserve, with the 88th Regional Support Command, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota and as Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel with the 88th Regional Readiness Group, Indianapolis, Indiana. He also served as the first Command Signal Officer of the 206th Regional Support Group, 88th Regional Readiness Command, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Walton served as commander of the 318th Public Affairs Detachment (Public Affairs Operations Center), one of four battalion-level commands in the Army Reserve and one of nine such commands in the entire Army. His organization was mobilized within a year after taking command and Walton found himself exercising command and control over some 130 public affairs soldiers within three mobile public affairs detachments, and a history and documentation detachment in addition to his organization while in Kuwait and later in Iraq. The 318th PAOC is headquartered at Forest Park, Illinois and is a part of the 88th Regional Readiness Command.

Walton was directed to perform duties with the 335th Signal Command (Theater), an Army Reserve general officer command headquartered at East Point, Georgia and at Camp Afrijan, Kuwait. The 335th SC(T) provides information management theater support to units and commands throughout the Central Command and is a part of the United States Army, Central Command (ARCENT) and 3rd Army.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Achievement Medal, (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), National Defense, Korean Service, Armed Forces Service, Southwest Asia Service, Iraq Service, three Humanitarian Service, and three Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Commanders' Award for Public Service; the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Merit and Commendation Ribbons; and the State of New York and State of Minnesota Commendation Ribbons. He has been part of units which has been honored with the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Award, and the Army Superior Unit Awards. He holds the Expert Field Medical Badge and the Combat Action Badge.

Mike Walton is a fulltime public affairs specialist with the 88th Regional Readiness Command, Army Reserve, Fort Snelling, Minnesota and lives in South Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. He serves as the central point of contact between many military and community-based organizations and the Army Reserve in the midwest as well as one of the principle trainers/coaches to family readiness groups and individual families as they deal with the media. Walton also manages the content found on the internet and intranet websites for the command and as a speechwriter and program assistor for the 88th's command group team. He has been honored with the Commanders' Award for Civilian Service and the Acheivement Award for Civilian Service.

Last updated March 2008